Jaffna Vocational Training Centre - TamilsTrust

Jaffna Vocational Training Center Jaffna Vocational

Center

Jaffna Vocational

Center

Jaffna Vocational Training Centre A Multipurpose Community Learning Centre to

Transform Youth’s Education and self-Empowerment.

THE TAMIL TRUST International

Steinsvikskrenten 93

5237 Rådal

Norway www.thetamiltrust.com

[email protected]

+47 41295659


Center

Overview

Overview 2

I. Who We Are 3

II. Summary and Mission 4

III. Community Needs 5

IV. The Jaffna Vocational Training Center Project Goal 6

V. Tour the Learning Center 7

VI. Project Status 10

VII. Budget 11

VIII. Key Personnel 12

IX. Measures of Success 13

X. Next Steps 14

XI. Contact Information 14

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I. Who We Are? Youth Empowerment:

The Vision of our organization “The Tamil Trust International” (TTT) is to foster positive

change through self-empowerment, education, and professional training to provide job skills,

opportunities and hope-enabling Tamil Youths in North and East of Sri Lanka to build better lives.

The “The Tamil Trust International” (TTT)is a non-profit NGO and registered as a Trust in

Norway, our organization is a democratic umbrella organization. “The Tamil Trust International”

works together with NGO`s in different countries worldwide formally to coordinate our activities to

help youths in war affected areas in Sri Lanka to enable to have an honorable income source to

earn basic needs of livelihood through education and vocational training skills.

Youth Unemployment coupled with Skills Shortage. Jaffna district in Sri Lanka, youth

unemployment rates are very high, with rates in commercial capitals even higher. At the same

time, businesses across the region, employers complain that they cannot find enough skilled

entry-level workers, given the low quality of education systems.

We believe there is an opportunity to up-skill Tamil youths for employment job-creating industries

and, at a system level, level out the playing field such that youth can be recruited based on their

industry-specific skill sets rather than their connections or paper qualifications (which the most

disadvantaged youths do not have).

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II. Summary and Mission

Our Mission is: - to empower youth to affect positive change in their communities. - to expand access to education, empower youth, provide access to

vocational skills training, and foster opportunity by investing in the future of the people in North East of Sri Lanka.

• Jaffna Vocational Training Center achieves this mission by providing a multipurpose

community learning center for a community of more than 50,000 members • Dedicated spaces ensure youth have access to education and programing to

support increasing financial independence and job training • Partnerships with local authorities and other NGO’s to provide skills

training and educational programming to support employment

• Construction of the multipurpose community learning center is underway and Phase I is scheduled for completion in December, 2019

• Current funding request: $ 1.000.0000,00 — please see page 11 for full budget

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III. Community Needs Jaffna District in northern Sri Lanka has recently emerged from three decades of violence and

isolation, leading to a diverse array of political, social and economic issues. We critically

analyses the links between youth employment and the post-war reconstruction and

development of this region. Unemployment among youth is regarded as a potential threat to the

stability of the country during the post-war period, and it is argued that only through the active

engagement of Sri Lanka’s youth population can the threat of resurgence in violence be fully

eliminated. The information’s based on recent field research, examines the extent of youth

unemployment within Jaffna District, and considers how government, non-government and

community-based actors are working together to solve related problems.

The aim of the project is to address the shortage of skilled labour in key industries in the North-

East Sri Lanka region, thus addressing one of the main reasons for high unemployment and

low productivity. By establishing a vocational training Centre in the North and East part of Sri

Lanka the supply of adequate labor force will be addressed in three manufacturing industries

with a high potential for growth, namely: metal and automotive manufacturing; wood processing

and textile manufacturing. The Centre will provide tailored training for workers in both basic and

advanced production techniques. In the short run, this will make existing jobs more secure and

mitigate the challenges associated with the need for new employees. In the long run, it will

enable knowledge and technology transfers from abroad, increasing productivity and creating

new high-value added jobs. The project relies on partnerships between the private and public

sector to ensure long-term sustainability of the training Centre. Moreover, the partnership will

insist upon public-private dialogue to build more coherent and specific workforce development

initiatives.


Center

Challenges

• Access to Education: Most of the dropouts are from poor families who find it difficult to

make ends meet as humanitarian assistance dries up almost 10 years after decades of

civil war ended. This situation is being aggravated by an acute lack of job opportunities

and a rising cost of living.

• Gender equality: Women treated unfairly specially widows

• Lack of opportunity: For rural villagers in North and East, few good jobs exist unless one

has an education. The means to become educated to attend high school and college are

not available to the majority of families and education and job training often stops after

elementary school.

• Lack of Job Training: There are lack of programs or resources for citizens, especially

women, to learn new skills to generate new sources of income

Our solution to these challenges is the Jaffna Vocational Training Center, to expand

access to education, empower youth, provide access to vocational skills training in

the district. Our current greatest fundraising need is funding for Phase I & II of

construction. Please see page 11 for complete fundraising information.


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IV. The Jaffna Vocational Training Center Project Goal The Jaffna Vocational Training Center Project Goal (JVTC) is an original innovative

design meant to be a fully functional proof of concept project. Proof that if we give people

the resources and invest in their health and education, we can make real change and give

rural citizens employment and educational opportunities.

The target region is home to almost 608000 inhabitants. Of these, 48, 6% is under the

age of 29, which is higher than the EU average of 33.3% and slightly higher than the

country average. Additionally, High percentage of the working age population holds a

higher education, making it a good base for the introduction of tailored Technical and

Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in line with private sector needs.

Key Project Goals

• Promoting literacy rates specifically for girls and women

• Specialized skills and vocational training to increase employment and opportunity for all

citizens

• Financial independence for women

• Health and wellness programs

• Preservation of culture

• Model how educational resources can transform a community

Age Distribution (C 2012)

0-9 years 90,858

10-19 years 106,924

20-29 years 97,488

30-39 years 77,563

40-49 years 62,982

50-59 years 63,633

60-69 years 52,549

70-79 years 23,825

80+ years 8,060


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V. Tour the Learning Center

The Reading Room

The concept of the Reading Room is the where the project began. The organization wanted a

place for students to go – to see all the wonderful books that the Jaffna Vocational Training

Center have collected and brought to the district. It will be a comfortable, quiet and safe spot

to read between classes or at night after school. Outside the reading room, there will be

shaded walls and artfully designed window punctures along the north wall. This reading room

is flexible to hold classes as well.

Technology

Adjacent to the reading room will be a computer lab with tablets and computers that can

access the internet, something now only possible for residents via spotty mobile phone

coverage. The computers will be preloaded with educational videos on thousands of topics.

This will provide students a way to expand their knowledge, collaborate with each other, and

learn the skills they need to apply for high school, college and jobs in the future.


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Women’s Center

The workshop is a flexible space that will provide the villagers with a making space for a

variety of activities. They might build craft materials for sale, sew clothing for their family, or

process local grain for sale in the local market place. Classes will be sponsored to teach new

employable skills. By creating a space dedicated to women we are fostering a more equal

society where women, who were wholly dependent upon men, have a space to go where

they can support themselves financially, interact with other women like them, learn skills,

improve their literacy, take classes and sell their wares to the community.

Early Childhood Education Center

Early childhood education focuses on developing skills foundational for a child's future

success, not only in an educational setting but in everyday life. We have always worked to

provide education starting at the earliest, most critical time in a child's life.

Organization always wanted to provide a room just for smallest kids to learn to read, grow,

and develop. This special quiet corner of the center is tucked away with its own garden and

outdoor play area. There will be literacy-focused games and toys that will help build the

foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

Community Theater

The Community Theater will allow for the continuation of the traditional means of teaching,

storytelling and the passing of history from grandparent to grandchild. The people of Jaffna

district enjoy and celebrate their past and future through music, dance, and performances.

Jaffna Vocational Training Center

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Meeting Space

All important decisions in the village are made collectively, after many thoughtful, inclusive

conversations, where all voices are heard and considered. This multipurpose space can be

used for town meetings, large class lectures, and even large cooking classes from the

adjacent teaching kitchen.

Bathrooms

The center’s new bathroom facilities will be a popular modern addition that will lift the quality of

life for all. Due to an expected high quantity of use, we must ensure that these facilities are

built exceptionally well and can sustain themselves with minimal maintenance.



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Solar Power

The solar panels on the roof of the LLC will enable the facility to be a zero-energy, self-

sustaining building, and prevent problems arising from the unreliable municipal grid. The

power will also generate revenue for the center to provide for the salaries for the library

director, the security guard, and maintenance personnel

VI. Project Status

The Jaffna Vocational Training Center is being built in Two Phases. Phase I will start

construction early part og 2019 and Phase II will begin immediately after Phase I. $1 000,000

needed to construct it, which we are actively now fundraising for.

Key Points

• Phase I of construction, scheduled for completion in May. It includes the library space,

computer lab, offices, bathrooms, classrooms, and an integrated outdoor performance

space.

• We are actively fundraising for Phase I & II construction and for solar panels with an

expected costs 1.000,000,00.

• Phase II is planned to begin immediately after Phase I is completed providing the funds

are raised. It will include the women’s center and child development center.

• Jaffna Vocational Training Center Trust has identified a highly qualified full time instructors and a director to run the center

• Currently working with the Mr.Ponnrangam in Malaysia to partner with the different

governments and NGO’s to provide job training programs once the center is built.


Center Director

We are thrilled to report that we have hired a center director, who will oversee all center activities,

coordinate programming, establish the lending library, and support students’ academic activities.

He will lead summer camps and after school programs to ensure continuity of learning, and is sure

to be an indispensable resource and asset to the students. The center director will bring expertise in

this area that is sure to allow the Learning Center to become a beacon of learning and education to

the more than 30,000 community members.

VII. Budget

Description of Work Projected Costs

Phase One

All planning and preparatory work for both

Phase 1 and 2; main reading room, computer

lab, bathrooms, offices, meeting space

$ 600,000

Women’s center, early childhood education

center **Highest Fundraising Priority

$ 180,000

Provides revenue source and reliable electricity $ 160,000

Technology Computers, projectors, printers, internet access $ 25,000

Furniture Tables, chairs, bookshelves, etc $ 25,000

Security Outdoor lighting; security camera’s $ 15,000

Landscaping

$ 25,000

Total Capital Costs

$ 1 030,000

Annual Operating

budget

Center employees, maintenance, utilities

$ 25,000

Amount Raised $ 55,000

Amount Needed to Complete Project $ 1 000,000

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VIII. Key Personnel

“It takes a village…”

We are a proudly student led organization and have an extremely dedicated team of students

working to build the Jaffna Vocational Training Center and support their peers in Jaffna

district. Hundreds of high school students have been members of Students for Jaffna and

each year a group of between 15 and 20 juniors and seniors are selected to be members of

the executive board to lead the organization’s activities. A large part of our fundraising comes

from the dedication of members.

This group of students is constantly supported by a strong and dedicated team of parents and

community members, business leaders, architects, the community of Northern Province.

Board of Directors

Sri Balasundaram - Chairman Thevendran Kularuban - Directors Tove Nesset - Directors

Advisory Board

Mr.Ponnurangam - International Co-ordinator Thevendran Kularuban - Project Director

Tove Nesset - Public relations

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IX. Measures of Success

We hold ourselves to the highest empirical standard and will be collecting data to prove the

Learning Centers effectiveness as well as to understand how to improve it.

Literacy rate

• We will collect data from children at three different grade levels, including literacy,

math, and a social survey, before the center is completed

• Adult literacy rates will be collected pre-LLC and post-LLC to determine how the

LLC has impacted adult literacy

• This data will be collected once a year, to determine how learning and education

in the village have been impacted by the LLC

School enrollment and graduation rates

• Elementary, middle, and high school graduation rates will be collected and

analyzed to ensure students are enrolled in school for as long as possible

• Early childhood education enrollment

• College attendance and enrollment data will be collected, to ensure students are

reaching their highest educational potential

Direct Feedback

• Teacher surveys will help determine how they are able to use the LLC to best

support their students needs

• Student feedback will allow us to provide services that will directly meet the needs

of the student population

Library records

• Records and data from the lending library aspect of the LLC will be collected to

determine how students are using the library, and the types of books students are

using

Employment information

• Data from the government of Northern Provincial Council on Local employment

through coordination with the town’s mayor will be collected and analyzed


X. Next Steps

We are currently focusing on completing construction of Phase I and fundraising for Phase I & Phase II.

Key Points

• Phase I scheduled for completion in October, 2019

• Phase II construction scheduled to begin immediately after providing funds are raised

• Partner with other education focused NGO’s to provide programming and support

• Partner with local government

• Collect data on center’s use

• Provide Furniture for Phase I

XI. Contact Information www.jaffnavocationaltraining.org

[email protected]

+47 41295659

The Tamil Trust

Steinsvikskrenten 93

5237 Rådal

Norway

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Jaffna Vocational Training Centre - TamilsTrust